Wire-stretcher.



J. W. A. MCGILVREY.

WIRE STRETOHER.

APPLICATION FILED 0053.16, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 1:19.. wAllllNu'rON. D. c.

JOHN W. A. MCGILVREY, OF ALBIA, IOWA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 16, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Serial No. 654,949.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JonN WV. .A. MoGIn- VREY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Albia, in the county of Monroe, State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in lVire-Stretchers; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the in v-ention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wire stretcher-s.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a wire stretcherwhich will be easy of operation, etlicient in use, simple inconstruction and which may be manufac' tured and sold at a comparativelysmall cost.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arrangement and com bination of partsto be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation showing the invention applied. Fig. 2, a plan view ofwhat is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, a detail perspective View of theoperating lever of the stretcher and its associated parts.

Referring to the drawings 10 indicates a wire fence to be stretched, 11the fence post to which the wire fence is to be attached afterstretching, and 12 a fence post disposed adjacent the post 11. The wirefence 10 is held by a clamp 13 which is attached to the stretchingdevice as will hereinafter appear.

The stretcher proper comprises a lever 14 having pivoted theretoadjacent its lower end a U-shaped pawl A, while another U- shaped pawl Bis pivoted to said lever between the u-pper end of the latter and thepawl A, said pawl being directed on the same side of the lever 14. Thepawl is relatively longer than the pawl B and each of said pawls isformed of a single piece of metal bent into U-shape embracing the lever14. The pawl A has its arms bent outwardly and inwardly at anintermediate point as at 15 while the free end of said pawl has the armsthereof contracted and curved upwardly as at 15. Likewise the pawl B hasits arms bent outwardly and inwardly at an intermediate point as at 16while the free end of said pawl B has the arms thereof contracted andcurved downwardly as at 16. Pivoted to the lever 14 between the pawls Aand B and directed on the opposite side of said lever is a U-shapedanchor clevis 17 the bight portion of which has swiveled thereto a plate18 having a pair of openings 19 therein. The pawls A and B are connectedby a spring 20 which normally force said pawls away from each other fora purpose that will presently appear. In order to move the pawls A and Btoward each other against the influence of the spring 20 when desiredthere is provided operating rods 21 and 22 slidahle respectively inguides 23 and Qelon the lever ill. The lower ends of the rods 21 and 22are pivotally connected respectively to corresponding arms of the pawlsA and B while the upper ends of said rods terminate at the upper end ofthe lever 14 in the handles 2;") and 26 respectively.

In operation of the stretcher the clam-p 13 is secured to the anchorclevis by cables 27 and 28 having one end fastened to the upper andlower ends of the clamp respectively and their other ends secured inrespective openings 19 of the plate 18. Attached to the fence post '12is a link chain 29, the links of which are the size to pass freelybetween tl 1, arms of the pawls A and B at the curved portions 15' and16 thereof but which cannot pass through the contracted curved portions15 and 16 of said pawls. lVhen the chain is directed through the pawls Aand B the spring 20 will throw said pawls away from each other and forcecertain links of the chain into the contracted curved portions 15 and16. lVhen the chain and pawls are in this relation the upper end of thelever 14 is oscillated and this will cause the pawls A and B tosuccessively advance upon the chain 29 and in that manner the chain isdrawn taut and the fence 1O properly stretched. To disengage the pawls Aand B from the chain it is only necessary to move same toward each otherthrough the medium of the rods 21 and 22 as previously re ferred to.

What is claimed is:

In a device of the character described, a link chain adapted to beanchored, pulling means cooperating with said chain, said meanscomprising an operating lover, a pair of pawls pivotally connected tosaid lever at spaced points thereon and directed at the same sidethereon, one of said pawls being relatively longer than the other andeach comprising a single length of metal bent U- shape and having itsarms bent outwardly and inwardly at corresponding points in theirlengths, said arms being contracted and curved at their free ends and aspring disposed between said pawls constantly tending to move the freeends thereof away 10 from each other, and said chain passing between thearms of each pawl.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN WV. A. MOGILVREY. Witnesses J. S. MooN, G. G. ELDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

